AppalAsia

AppalAsia combines the influences of Appalachian and Asian music traditions with original composition and inspired improvisation, along with material based on traditional Asian and Western “folk” songs, to create a unique musical voice. Drawing on the inspiration of these traditions, they extend the language and context for using the erhu,, dulcimer, and banjo as both solo and ensemble instruments, and as a way to define and express their personal, genre-expanding, musical vision. The individual members of AppalAsia have extensive histories of collaboration, touring, and genre-extending interaction with artists from across the globe, including Karen Han, Min Xiao-Fen, Andy Statman, Tony Trischka, Susan McKeown, Samir Chatterjee, Devilish Merry, and Arthur Russel, to name just a few. The group has performed and collaborated with such artists as Tibetan singer Pasang Dolma, Alash: Tuvan Throat Singers and Musicians, and Japanese choreographer Tadashi. 

JEFF BERMAN, dulcimer, percussion, vocal
Jeff is a multi-instrumentalist, improvising
artist, and composer whose work reflects
his global musical vision. A native of New
York City now living in Pittsburgh, his
genre-extending concept on mountain dulcimer,
vibraphone, and percussion, has allowed
him to collaborate, across stylistic
boundaries, with a diverse group of artists
from across the planet.
Josef Woodward has described his
music as “a worldly folk-jazz”, The Los Angeles Times wrote "Berman bends a chord or strums his AppalAchian dulcimer to stunning effect", Jazziz has
written, “…hypnotic vibes work…Berman
not only play vibes, he sounds like he created
the instrument”, and Bill Milkowski
has called Jeff’s writing “…hauntingly
beautiful…”
He has performed internationally both
as a solo artist and as a member of various
ensembles. Some of the artists he has
performed, recorded, and toured with include
Andy Statman, Tony Trischka, Robert
Een, Susan Mckeown, Lindsey Horner, Paul Bley, Linda Thompson, and
choreographers Yin Mei, and Gia Cacalano
to name just a few. He has three
recordings on the Palmetto Records label
featuring his own compositions, and his
music has been used for performance,
dance, theatre, and film — including the
Academy Award nominated documentary
In Our Water.
MIMI JONG, erhu, vocal
Mimi was born and raised in Indonesia,
educated in Germany, and is now living in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has been
performing erhu, an ancient Chinese two-string
bowed instrument, since age eleven.
Mimi performed with members of the
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, renowned
jazz musicians and folk musicians. She collaborated
with Mary Miller Dance Company
in “The Gathering of Women”, and
taught and performed at Huntingdon Council
for the Arts “Folk College”. As a guest
artist, Mimi has performed with renowned
erhu virtuoso Karen Han, Pipa virtuoso Min
Xiao Fen’s New York based ensemble Blue
Pipa, and has toured and collaborated
with poet/activist Huang Xiang.
Mimi has served as the music program
director for Silk Screen Film Festival and
the board president/founding member of
“HarmoniZing!”, where her contributions
include inviting renowned performing
artists for concerts and residencies in
Pittsburgh.
With the mission of weaving crosscultural
experience, Mimi collaborated
with first-class artists from China to form
“Jasmine Dynasty”, introducing Chinese
dance and music to schools in the Western
Pennsylvania region.
SUSAN POWERS, banjo, vocal
Sue has been playing banjo and singing
since high school. She grew up outside of
Pittsburgh in a family with deep roots in the
Western Pennsylvania musical landscape.
Both parents were sacred singers, and her
grandfather and great grandfather were
fiddle players in the Appalachian “old
time” tradition, who performed for local
square dances.
She is a founding member of the group
Devilish Merry where she pioneered the
use of the 5 string banjo in celtic music.
She has adapted her unique ‘claw
hammer’ style to blues, rock and pop
music. She is an acknowledged as a songwriter, inspired by Appalacian traditions, that reflects contemporary life from a female perspective with a sense of regional history and the environmental landscape.